This invention relates generally to a novel method for manufacturing spherical bearings.
More particularly the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a spherical bearing having an outer member with an opening therethrough and a concave inner surface on the inner surface of the outer member, an inner member with a convex outer surface complementary to and in precise spherical bearing conformity with the concave inner surface comprising the steps of preforming the inner and outer members to their substantially, final dimensions, forcing the inner member within the opening of the outer member, the inner member acting as a die to enlarge one end of the opening thereby cold working an annular portion of the outer member which surrounds the opening.
Spherical bearings or ball and socket type ball bearings are in a broad sense an extremely old art. One only has to look back to the first forms of animal life in which bones and joints were present. Typically, the specifications for spherical bearing assemblies are most exacting as to shape, dimension and overall strength. Spherical bearings present unique problems of achieving uniform bearing contact between the convex outer surface of the ball and the concave inner surface of the outer race member of the socket. This requirement of uniform bearing contact, therefore requires a high order and type of dimensional control over the various elements comprising the spherical bearing assembly as well as the method and apparatus by which the bearing assembly is manufactured.
Spherical bearing assemblies continue to gain wider and wider acceptance in industry and accordingly there are continual efforts to improve upon the quality of the spherical bearing product while at the same time to simplify the method of manufacturing these spherical bearings. Typically, the method of manufacturing these types of bearings have included numerous, complicated and costly steps regarding sophisticated, expensive and difficult to maintain apparatus.